Thursday, August 24, 2006

Better than a Tall Ship


I think this is a Hans Christian (38?), although I have no reason to think that is correct, except that I saw one once as a kid and thought it was a really neat boat. When I saw this one heading out of Belmont Harbor I just instinctively blurted out "look, there's a Hans Christian!" and then looked around to see if any more knowledgeable boat people were laughing.

The Hans Christian design features a double-ended hull, low-slung cabin with four ports each side, usually with built-in space on the cabin top for an air conditioner (which I believe you can see just forward of the mast in this picture). What makes it cool is the extreme sheer (curvature) of the hull from front to back and the usually extensive brightwork on top of an already elegant (if it's old enough, wooden) boat. Is it or isn't it?